Timber Rattlers Receive Invitation to Remain Brewers Affiliate 

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have been extended an opportunity to continue their partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Timber Rattlers would remain as a team in Milwaukee’s minor league system and would move a step up the classification ladder from Low-A to A-Advanced.

“We are extremely pleased with this news,” said Timber Rattlers president Rob Zerjav. “We have had a very positive relationship with the Brewers for the past twelve years and we look forward to continuing the affiliation moving forward. I would like to personally thank David Stearns, Matt Arnold, Tom Flanagan, Mark Mueller, and the rest of the Brewers baseball operations staff for their trust in our organization and their desire to remain in Appleton. I would also like to thank Rick Schlesinger and the Brewers organization for their years of support.”

“Rob and his entire staff run a first-class operation,” said Flanagan, Milwaukee’s Vice President of Minor League Operations. “The Brewers very much look forward to continuing to develop players with the Timber Rattlers and maintaining our connection with the Appleton community.”

The expiration of the Professional Baseball Agreement between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball on October 1, 2020 has caused sweeping changes throughout the sport. One of the major changes is that minor league teams will no longer sign a Player Development Contract, or PDC, which had to be renewed every two or four years. In the place of a PDC, teams will now sign a Player Development License, or PDL, which will be renewed every ten years. The final draft of the PDL has yet to be presented by Major League Baseball and will be the next step in this process.

Additionally, Major League Baseball has announced the Timber Rattlers would move up to High Class ‘A’-Advanced. Appleton’s professional baseball team has been at the Low-A classification since 1962. Previous professional teams in Appleton had been in Class B, Class C, or Class D, three classifications that were wiped out in a major reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 1963.

The new arrangement between Major League Baseball and minor league clubs would require teams in the minors to upgrade their facilities to improve player amenities such as larger clubhouses for both the home and visiting teams, as well as work with MLB to address additional player health and wellness initiatives.

“Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium is a beautiful ballpark, and it has served us extremely well since it opened in 1995,” said Zerjav. “Baseball, like everything, evolves and the needs of players and coaches have changed over the past 25 years. We have already begun to discuss stadium upgrades and the organization hopes to be able to make additional announcements in the very near future.”